-
Thrombosis Journal Apr 2024Some causes of first-line treatment failure for ITP are often closely related to infections. But parasitic infections are rarely mentioned and easily overlooked. The...
BACKGROUND
Some causes of first-line treatment failure for ITP are often closely related to infections. But parasitic infections are rarely mentioned and easily overlooked. The case is the first to describe a boy with immune thrombocytopenia associated with blastocystis hominis.
CASE PRESENTATION
The case involved a boy presenting with bleeding skin spots and ecchymosis and accompanied by intermittent epigastric pain and constipation. After a series of complete examinations, the platelet count was found to be decreased to 13 × 10/L and immune thrombocytopenia was diagnosed. After first-line treatment with gamma globulin and prednisolone, the thrombocytopenia remained unchanged. Blastocystis hominis was subsequently found in the patient's stool and then the treatment of metronidazole was provided. One week later, the patient's thrombocytopenia was completely relieved. He was followed up for six months and was found to have recovered well.
CONCLUSIONS
The screening for potential predisposing factors is very important for immune thrombocytopenia patients with poor response to first-line treatment, and the best treatment strategy should include the management of potential diseases.
PubMed: 38685091
DOI: 10.1186/s12959-024-00611-w -
Microbes and Infection Apr 2024Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is effective against recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI), but its safety is jeopardized by the potential...
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is effective against recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI), but its safety is jeopardized by the potential transmission of pathogens, so international guidelines recommend either a quarantine or a direct stool testing. Whereas reports of the quarantine-based approach are emerging, data on the direct testing-based approach are not available. Our aim is to report outcomes of a donor screening framework for FMT including direct stool testing. In this prospective cohort study, all donor candidates recruited at our FMT centre underwent a four-step screening process to be enrolled as actual donors. Each collected stool donation was then evaluated with a direct stool testing including a molecular assay for gut pathogens and a culture assay for multi-drug resistant organisms (MDRO). From January 2019 to June 2023, 72 of 227 candidates (32%) were considered eligible and provided 277 stool donations. Ninety-nine donations (36%) were discarded for positivity to intestinal pathogens, most commonly enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (n = 37) and Blastocystis hominis (n = 20). Overall, 337 stool aliquots were obtained from 165 approved donations. All suspensions were used for patients with rCDI, and no serious adverse events or clinically evident infections were observed at 12 weeks after procedures. In our study, screening of donor faeces including direct stool testing led to the discard of a considerable rate of stool donations but was also extremely safe. This approach may represent a reliable strategy to guarantee the safety of FMT programs, especially in countries with high prevalence of MDRO.
PubMed: 38679228
DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2024.105341 -
Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) Feb 2024spp., and are species of protozoa- causing diarrhoea that are common worldwide, while , and sp. appear to be commensal parasites whose role in pathogenicity remains...
spp., and are species of protozoa- causing diarrhoea that are common worldwide, while , and sp. appear to be commensal parasites whose role in pathogenicity remains controversial. We conducted the clinical evaluation of five singleplex and one duplex CerTest VIASURE Real-Time PCR Assays against a large panel of positive DNA samples ( = 358), and specifically to spp. ( = 96), ( = 115), ( = 25) ( = 11), sp. ( = 42), ( = 37), and related parasitic phylum species such as Apicomplexa, Euglenozoa, Microsporidia and Nematoda. DNA samples were obtained from clinical stool specimens or cultured isolates in a national reference centre. Estimated diagnostic sensitivity and specificity values were 0.94-1 for spp., 0.96-0.99 for , 0.96-1 for , 1-1 for , and 1-0.99 for in the evaluated singleplex assays. In the duplex assay for the simultaneous detection of sp. and these values were 1-0.98 and 1-0.99, respectively. Measures of diagnostic precision for repeatability and reproducibility were found to be under acceptable ranges. The assays identified six species (, , , , , and ), four assemblages (A, B, C, and F), and six subtypes (ST1-ST5, and ST8). The evaluated singleplex and duplex VIASURE Real-Time PCR assays provide sensitive, practical, and cost-effective choices to the molecular diagnosis of the main diarrhoea-causing intestinal protists in clinical microbiology and research laboratories.
PubMed: 38337835
DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14030319 -
BMC Infectious Diseases Feb 2024Syndromic surveillance of acute gastroenteritis plays a significant role in the diagnosis and management of gastrointestinal infections that are responsible for a...
BACKGROUND
Syndromic surveillance of acute gastroenteritis plays a significant role in the diagnosis and management of gastrointestinal infections that are responsible for a substantial number of deaths globally, especially in developing countries. In Lebanon, there is a lack of national surveillance for acute gastroenteritis, and limited data exists regarding the prevalence of pathogens causing diarrhea. The one-year study aims to investigate the epidemiology of common gastrointestinal pathogens and compare our findings with causative agents of diarrhea reported by our study collaborative centers.
METHODS
A multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted over a one-year period. A total of 271 samples were obtained from outpatients and inpatients presenting with symptoms of acute gastroenteritis at various healthcare facilities. The samples were then analyzed using Allplex gastrointestinal assay that identifies a panel of enteric pathogens.
RESULTS
Overall, enteropathogens were detected in 71% of the enrolled cases, 46% of those were identified in patients as single and 54% as mixed infections. Bacteria were observed in 48%, parasites in 12% and viruses in 11%. Bacterial infections were the most prevalent in all age groups. Enteroaggregative E. coli (26.5%), Enterotoxigenic E. coli (23.2%) and Enteropathogenic E. coli (20.3%) were the most frequently identified followed by Blastocystis hominis (15.5%) and Rotavirus (7.7%). Highest hospitalization rate occurred with rotavirus (63%), Enterotoxigenic E. coli (50%), Blastocystis hominis (45%) and Enteropathogenic E. coli (43%). Enteric pathogens were prevalent during summer, fall and winter seasons.
CONCLUSIONS
The adoption of multiplex real-time PCR assays in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal infections has identified gaps and improved the rates of detection for multiple pathogens. Our findings highlight the importance of conducting comprehensive surveillance to monitor enteric infections. The implementation of a syndromic testing panel can therefore provide healthcare professionals with timely and accurate information for more effective treatment and public health interventions.
Topics: Humans; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction; Cross-Sectional Studies; Gastroenteritis; Diarrhea; Rotavirus; Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli; Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli; Feces
PubMed: 38326773
DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09047-z -
PeerJ 2024Diversity in clinical signs and symptoms are associated with soil transmitted diseases (STD), which are spread to humans by intestinal worms and transmitted in a variety...
BACKGROUND
Diversity in clinical signs and symptoms are associated with soil transmitted diseases (STD), which are spread to humans by intestinal worms and transmitted in a variety of ways. There is a need for the present study, which aimed to investigate the prevalence of intestinal parasites and to compare between the common detection techniques for soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) among newly arrived expatriate labors in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
METHODS
A total of 188 stool samples were analyzed by macroscopic examination, and microscopic examination using direct iodine smear and the formal ether sedimentation technique. Trichrome and modified Kinyoun's stains were used to confirm the morphology of any detected protozoa stages and oocyst of , respectively. A chromatographic immunoassay kit was used for , and . In addition, real-time PCR was employed only to identify various STHs.
RESULTS
Out of 188, several types of parasites were detected in 35 samples (18.62%), of which some with multiple infections. Nine samples (4.79%) were positive for , seven samples (3.72%) for , six samples (3.19%) for , four samples (2.13%) for , four samples (2.13%) for , four samples (2.13%) for , three samples (1.60%) for and two samples (1.06%) for . In comparison between laboratory techniques for STHs, real-time PCR was able to detect the DNA of 19 samples (10.1%) followed by Ritchie sedimentation technique (18, 9.6%), and direct smear (7, 3.7%) ( > 0.05).
CONCLUSION
The high rate of newly arrived foreign workers infected with intestinal parasites could lead to a risk to society. Continuous and regular surveys are needed to deal with the occurrence of intestinal parasitic infections including STHs. To improve the identification of these infections, we recommend a supporting infrastructure for the application of concentration methods and molecular assays.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Parasites; Soil; Cryptosporidiosis; Prevalence; Saudi Arabia; Cryptosporidium; Helminths
PubMed: 38288465
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16820 -
Scientific Reports Jan 2024Cockroaches are considered mechanical transmitters of infectious diseases, posing a threat to human health. This study assessed the potential of cockroaches in...
Cockroaches are considered mechanical transmitters of infectious diseases, posing a threat to human health. This study assessed the potential of cockroaches in food-related environments to mechanically transmit intestinal pathogens. Cockroaches captured with traps were placed together into a low temperature refrigerator at - 80° for 2 h. Standard taxonomic keys and Fluorescent quantitative PCR techniques were applied for species identification and digestive tract etiological examination. A total of 360 cockroach traps were placed, with a positive rate of 20.8%, and 266 cockroaches were captured. In general, compared with other places and areas, the degree of infestation of cockroaches was more serious in catering places and kitchens. Blattella germanica were most found in catering places (40.2%), followed by Periplaneta fuliginosa in schools (22.2%). According to the life stage, among the 128 cockroach samples, 23 were positive for nymphs and 13 were positive for adults. There were statistically significant differences in the intestinal pathogen detection rates between nymphs and adults (P < 0.05). A total of eight intestinal pathogens were detected, and enterovirus infections were the main ones, with sapovirus being the most detected in Blattella germanica or nymph. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) was the most frequently isolated bacterium. Blastocystis hominis had the highest isolation rate. In contrast, 12 diarrhoeal disease pathogens were isolated, and the viruses and bacteria with the highest frequencies were norovirus and E. coli, respectively; no parasites were found. Blattella germanica and Periplaneta fuliginosa in food-related environments can act as potential vectors for the spread of intestinal pathogens and may pose a significant threat to public health.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Animals; Escherichia coli; Blattellidae; Periplaneta; Intestines; China; Nymph
PubMed: 38253647
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52306-x -
Lasers in Medical Science Jan 2024The evolution of parasite resistance to antiparasitic agents has become a serious health issue indicating a critical and pressing need to develop new therapeutics that...
The evolution of parasite resistance to antiparasitic agents has become a serious health issue indicating a critical and pressing need to develop new therapeutics that can conquer drug resistance. Nanoparticles are novel, promising emerging drug carriers that have demonstrated efficiency in treating many parasitic diseases. Lately, attention has been drawn to a broad-spectrum nanoparticle capable of converting absorbed light into heat via the photothermal effect phenomenon. The present study is the first to assess the effect of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) and iron oxide nanoparticles (FeO NPs) as sole agents and with the combined action of the light-emitting diode (LED) on Blastocystis hominins (B. hominis) in vitro. Initially, the aqueous synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, zeta potential, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The anti-blastocyst efficiency of these NPs was tested separately in dark conditions. As these NPs have a wide absorption spectrum in the visible regions, they were also excited by a continuous wave LED of wavelength band (400-700 nm) to test the photothermal effect. The sensitivity of B. hominis cysts was evaluated using scanning laser confocal microscopy whereas the live and dead cells were accurately segmented based on superpixels and the k-mean clustering algorithm. Our findings showed that this excitation led to hyperthermia that induced a significant reduction in the number of cysts treated with photothermally active NPs. The results of this study elucidate the potential role of photothermally active NPs as an effective anti-blastocystis agent. By using this approach, new therapeutic antiparasitic agents can be developed.
Topics: Humans; Blastocystis hominis; Silver; Metal Nanoparticles; Antiparasitic Agents; Cysts; Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles
PubMed: 38246979
DOI: 10.1007/s10103-024-03984-6 -
Food and Waterborne Parasitology Mar 2024and are foodborne parasites known for causing diarrhea. They accumulate in mussels grown on contaminated water bodies, due to the discharge of treated sewage from...
and are foodborne parasites known for causing diarrhea. They accumulate in mussels grown on contaminated water bodies, due to the discharge of treated sewage from sewage treatment plants (STP). Despite this, some countries like Chile do not include these parasites in the control or monitoring of sewage water. The objective of this research was to evaluate the contamination of . and from treated sewage (disinfected by chlorination) and Cholga mussels in a touristic rural cove from the bay of Concepción. Cholga mussels from commercial stores and a treated sewage sample were analyzed. spp. was identified by Ziehl-Neelsen-Staining (ZNS) and by direct-immunofluorescence assay (IFA) from ZNS-positive samples. was identified by PCR using locus SSU rDNA. and subtype ST3 were found in 40% and 45% of Cholga mussel samples, respectively, and both parasites were identified in the treated sewage. SSU rDNA gene alignment from Cholga mussels and treated sewage showed 89% of similarity, indicating that could be the same parasite in both samples. We describe the first evidence of possible contamination with these parasites from treated sewage to Cholga mussel suggesting an environmental contamination with high human risk. Based on these results, further studies will consider all the rural coves and STP from the bay to prevent possible contamination of these parasites.
PubMed: 38188968
DOI: 10.1016/j.fawpar.2023.e00214 -
The Science of the Total Environment Feb 2024Despite extensive research, little is known about the composition of eukaryotic protists in environmental samples. This is due to low parasite concentrations, the...
Despite extensive research, little is known about the composition of eukaryotic protists in environmental samples. This is due to low parasite concentrations, the complexity of parasite diversity, and a lack of suitable reference databases and standardized protocols. To bridge this knowledge gap, this study used 18S rRNA short amplicon and shotgun metagenomic sequencing approaches to profile protozoan microbial communities as well as their functional pathways in treated and untreated wastewater samples collected from different regions of South Africa. Results demonstrated that protozoan diversity (Shannon index P-value = 0.03) and taxonomic composition (PERMANOVA, P-value = 0.02) was mainly driven by the type of wastewater samples (treated & untreated) and geographic location. However, these WWTPs were also found to contain a core community of protozoan parasites. The untreated wastewater samples revealed a predominant presence of free-living, parasitic, and potentially pathogenic protists typically found in humans and animals, ranging from Alveolata (27 %) phylum (Apicomplexa and Ciliophora) to Excavata (3.88 %) (Discoba and Parasalia) and Amoebozoa (2.84 %) (Entamoeba and Acanthamoeba). Shotgun metagenomics analyses in a subset of the untreated wastewater samples confirmed the presence of public health-importance protozoa, including Cryptosporidium species (3.48 %), Entamoeba hystolitica (6.58 %), Blastocystis hominis (2.91 %), Naegleria gruberi (2.37 %), Toxoplasma gondii (1.98 %), Cyclospora cayetanensis (1.30 %), and Giardia intestinalis (0.31 %). Virulent gene families linked to pathogenic protozoa, such as serine/threonine protein phosphatase and mucin-desulfating sulfatase were identified. Additionally, enriched pathways included thiamine diphosphate biosynthesis III, heme biosynthesis, Methylerythritol 4-Phosphate Pathway, methyl erythritol phosphate (MEP), and pentose phosphate pathways. These findings suggest that protozoan pathogens may possess metabolic and growth potential within WWTPs, posing a severe risk of transmission to humans and animals if inadequately disinfected before release. This study provides a baseline for the future investigation of diverse protozoal communities in wastewater, which are of public health importance.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Wastewater; Cryptosporidium; Cryptosporidiosis; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; Parasites; Eukaryota; Entamoeba; Metagenomics; Phosphates
PubMed: 38154626
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169602 -
Turkiye Parazitolojii Dergisi Dec 2023The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites in patients admitted to University of Health Sciences Türkiye (UHS) Van Training and...
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites in patients admitted to University of Health Sciences Türkiye (UHS) Van Training and Research Hospital.
METHODS
A total of 300 patients between the ages of 18-90 who applied to UHS Van Training and Research Hospital with gastrointestinal complaints and were referred to the parasitology laboratory between September 2021 and December 2021, and 100 patients without any chronic disease and gastrointestinal complaints in the control group were included in the study. Stool samples taken from patients included in the study and individuals in the control group were analyzed by native-lugol and modified acid-fast staining methods.
RESULTS
In the study, intestinal parasites were detected in 41 (13.3%) of 300 patients in the patient group and in seven (7%) of 100 individuals in the control group. The highest rate of species ( spp.) (5.7%) was found in the patient group. 3%, 2.7% and species ( spp). 2.3% were found among the other species detected. In addition, a statistically significant correlation was found between the incidence of parasites and abdominal pain (p=0.022) and nausea (p=0.029).
CONCLUSION
As a result; it was concluded that intestinal parasites are still an important health problem in patients with gastrointestinal complaints and intestinal parasites should definitely be considered in this patient group.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Adolescent; Young Adult; Adult; Middle Aged; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Parasites; Cryptosporidiosis; Cryptosporidium; Feces; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Blastocystis; Prevalence
PubMed: 38149443
DOI: 10.4274/tpd.galenos.2023.93585